Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1887-08-24
DISTRICT SCHOOLS.
THE PER,.s AND DIFFICULTIES OF
TEACHING FORTY YEARS AGO.

A Chicago Journalist Gives BIT OF AIS
Pedagogical Experience In Tanning tho
Juvenile Menagerie at the Cross Roads
school House.
Not one of the teachers of the district
schools ever fancied that discipline could
be enforced without corporal punishment;
in fact. the people esteemed him i'll proper"
ton to his severity. Generally the lnstru-
ment of torture was q flat ruler" OF
hardwood, and was applied to the open
palm of the hand. Some OF the brutes
who handled this weapon seemed TO de-
light In its use and employed it on the
sliphtest excuse, and not infrequently
without any cause. have been ferruled
scores of times without the consciousness
of having committed any offenSe what
ever.
The women who taught in the summer
did not use the ferrulc, but generally
switch, the offender often being sent ous
to cut the instrument with which he was
to be punished. One feminine teacher was
nm ingenious torturer, who constantly IN
vented novel methods Of punishment. one
was to put closed penknife between tne
fingers of the victim, press Tho lingcrs ugh1
to tho handle, and then twist the latter
till the pupil howled over the intolerance
pain.
While fitting for college taught district
schools for several winters, and so abhor-
rent were the various punishmcnts which
had suffered when boy that deter
mined never to strike pupil unless in alb
solute self defense. And I never did. L
taught in some pretty tough localities,
where punishments had been the rule from
t;oa immemorial
THE CROSS ROADS SCHOOL.
There is. or was, q cross road settle
ment on the Sacondaga river in which was
a district school that was famous oil
| through the region for the barbar-
| ism and intractable character OF its
scholars. l applied for it one winter. and
| was laughed ct by the trustee to whom
made the application.
| "Why, they throwed out the teacher
| last winter; and that amt all either; they
mutilated him go that he'll be a cripple
for life"
| After much par1eying succeeded in
| getting the engagement, it being under
Stood on the part of the trustees that if
lasted q week it would be q miracle.
The pupils whopresented themselves on
the opening day were not choice lot. MOST
of them were from the hills, and were but
little more advanced than savages in booK
learning There were some half dozen
bows as old as, or older than, myself, and
two or three hulking chaps who were con.
siderably larger than myself In physical
dimensions. They looked me over WITH
about the same glance that Dull doe
might slender terrier, but for several
DAYS were on their good behavior, being
of the opinion that when the time came
they would thrown me out without
trouble. It was the case of half dozeI
cats playing with feeble mouse.
SIZING UP THE CROWD.
soon sized up the crowd, and fount
that the leader was sullen brute OF SOM
as wears of age, who could just barrel.
spell words of two or three letters, ant
could not even write his name. He goo'
naturally allowed me to order him up t
repeat his letters with an air as II saying
can right for week or so, but We'll shoy
you by and by" A fortnight after tn
school opened he was more sullen tina
i usual one day, and when I requested hir
to come out and recite his letters "guesse
he didn't want to say no lesson"
D every we'll When recess comes YOU
0 keep your seat and not go out with tn
boys"
His ugly face took on deeper scoV
s than usual, and he glanced around at tn
other big boys, with glance which sale
stNow's the time! Veil tackle himF'
was half hour be recess Meanwhl
s he pulled out an use pocket knit
g ntarIousIy-UEo Inc srIans
: ,hoIars awa1.l --ir
a efe uneasy the larger ones move
about, and evidently thought the crisi
: was at hand.
When the hour for the recess came
picked up the heavy iron poker and carry
ing 1t as II 1t were cane, I opened til
} door and said: ''The boys may have O re
: cess" AS did SO fixed my eyes on tn
ruff1an with the jackknife, with genia
smile on my lips. The other large bow
hesitated for an instant, as if expecting
him to make a start. He quailed as b
saw my attitude and the poker, and KEEP
his seat. The other boys saw the gam
was up, and went out; they had no leader
and the combination was broken. neve
had the slightest further trouble. Evel
the brute with the jackknife became, afre
his fashion, my friend, and actually CAV,
some attention to his books, and by sprin.
could both read and write to fair extent
The people Of the district patiently
waited to see me come through the win
dows in sections; but the event never hap
pened. I tanned the menagerie and never
struck one of the beasts blow.-"Poli
uto'' in Chicago Times.